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Abstract:

A method includes providing, through a music server communicatively
coupled to a music device, a capability to a user of the music device to
tag a song. The method also includes associating, through the music
server, a location of the music device with the song based on the
tagging. Further, the method includes solely providing, through the music
server, access to the tagged song to the user and/or another user when
the corresponding music device of the user and/or another music device
associated with the another user is within the location.

Claims:

1. A method, comprising: providing, through a music server
communicatively coupled to a music device, a capability to a user of the
music device to tag a song; associating, through the music server, a
location of the music device with the song based on the tagging; and
solely providing, through the music server, access to the tagged song to
at least one of the user and another user when a corresponding at least
one of the music device of the user and another music device associated
with the another user is within the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, through the
music server, a capability to the user to provide access to the song to
the another user through the music device when the another music device
is within the location.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the capability to tag the
song with at least one of a name of the location, a title of the
location, a username and a timestamp.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising solely providing the access to the
tagged song to the another user based on verifying an identity of the
another music device through the music server.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising tagging the song based on a
geospatial location detection capability of at least one of the music
device and the music server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the music server and the music device
are communicatively coupled to each other through a computer network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the song is stored in a database
associated with the music server and available as a stream therefrom.

8. A music server comprising: a memory; and a processor communicatively
coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute
instructions to: provide a capability to a user of a music device to tag
a song accessed from a database via the music server, associate a
location of the music device with the song based on the tagging, and
solely provide access to the tagged song to at least one of the user and
another user when a corresponding at least one of the music device of the
user and another music device associated with the another user is within
the location.

9. The music server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to
execute instructions to provide a capability to the user to provide
access to the song to the another user through the music device when the
another music device is within the location.

10. The music server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to
execute instructions to provide the capability to tag the song with at
least one of a name of the location, a title of the location, a username
and a timestamp.

11. The music server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to
execute instructions to solely provide access to the tagged song to the
another user based on verifying an identity of the another music device.

12. The music server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to
execute instructions to tag the song based on a geospatial location
detection capability of at least one of the music device and the music
server.

13. The music server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to
execute instructions to enable streaming of the song in the database to
the music device.

14. A system, comprising: a music device; and a music server
communicatively coupled to the music device, the music server being
configured to: provide a capability to a user of the music device to tag
a song, associate a location of the music device with the song based on
the tagging, and solely provide access to the tagged song to at least one
of the user and another user when a corresponding at least one of the
music device of the user and another music device associated with the
another user is within the location.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the music server is further
configured to: provide a capability to the user to provide access to the
song to the another user through the music device when the another music
device is within the location.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the music server is configured to
provide the capability to tag the song with at least one of a name of the
location, a title of the location, a username and a timestamp.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the music server is configured to
solely provide the access to the tagged song to the another user based on
verifying an identity of the another music device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the music server is configured to tag
the song based on a geospatial location detection capability of at least
one of the music device and the music server.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the music server and the music device
are communicatively coupled to each other through a computer network.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a database associated with
the music server to store the song to be tagged.

Description:

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

[0001] This non-provisional application is a conversion application and
claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/592,011
titled LOCATION BASED MUSIC TAGGING AND SHARING filed on Jan. 30, 2012.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to music service(s) and, more
particularly, to location-based music tagging and sharing through a music
service.

BACKGROUND

[0003] A user (e.g., a music fan) may listen to music through a radio
station, a subscription service (e.g., Napster®, Rhapsody®)
and/or a streaming music service (e.g., Pandora®). The user may also
purchase music through a music service (e.g., Apple® iTunes). The
user may possess a capability to listen to music in a number of locations
through a portable music player (e.g., Apple® iPod®) and/or a car
stereo.

[0004] The user may develop an emotional connection with music and
associate certain songs with a particular place (e.g., a high school of
enrolment thereof). One or more songs may remind the user of a particular
place or, vice versa, the particular place may remind the user of the one
or more songs. The user may want to listen to music associated with the
particular place during a visit thereto for nostalgic purposes and/or
share the music associated with the particular place with connections
(e.g., family, friends, fans) thereof.

SUMMARY

[0005] Disclosed are a method, a device and/or a system of location-based
music tagging and sharing through a music service.

[0006] In one aspect, a method includes providing, through a music server
communicatively coupled to a music device, a capability to a user of the
music device to tag a song. The method also includes associating, through
the music server, a location of the music device with the song based on
the tagging. Further, the method includes solely providing, through the
music server, access to the tagged song to the user and/or another user
when the corresponding music device of the user and/or another music
device associated with the another user is within the location.

[0007] In another aspect, a music server includes a memory, and a
processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The processor is
configured to execute instructions to provide a capability to a user of a
music device to tag a song accessed from a database via the music server.
The processor is also configured to execute instructions to associate a
location of the music device with the song based on the tagging. Further,
the processor is configured to execute instructions to solely provide
access to the tagged song to the user and/or another user when the
corresponding music device of the user and/or another music device
associated with the another user is within the location.

[0008] In yet another aspect, a system includes a music device, and a
music server communicatively coupled to the music device. The music
server is configured to provide a capability to a user of the music
device to tag a song and to associate a location of the music device with
the song based on the tagging. Further, the music server is configured to
solely provide access to the tagged song to the user and/or another user
when the corresponding music device of the user and/or another music
device associated with the another user is within the location.

[0009] The methods and systems disclosed herein may be implemented in any
means for achieving various aspects, and may be executed in a form of a
machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when
executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform any of the operations
disclosed herein. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying
drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like
references indicate similar elements and in which:

[0011]FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a music tagging system, according to
one embodiment.

[0012]FIG. 1B is a schematic view of the music tagging system of FIG. 1A
having another user therein, according to one embodiment.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a tagging module of a music server of
the music tagging system of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a user interface of a music device of
the music tagging system of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram detailing the operations involved
in location-based music tagging and sharing through a music service,
according to one embodiment.

[0016] Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the
accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Example embodiments, as described below, may be used to provide a
method, a device and/or a system of location-based music tagging and
sharing through a music service. Although the embodiments have been
described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be
evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these
embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the
various embodiments.

[0018]FIG. 1A shows a music tagging system 100, according to one
embodiment. In one or more embodiments, music tagging system 100 may
include a music device 102 (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer,
a notebook computer, a netbook, a mobile device such as a mobile phone)
communicatively coupled to a music server 110 through a computer network
142 (e.g., shown as part of a cloud environment 112). In one or more
embodiments, computer network 142 may be a Local Area Network (LAN), a
Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, a satellite communication network etc.
When a user 150 of music device 102 is at a venue 106 within a geo-fence
104 associated therewith, user 150 may be provided a capability to tag
music (e.g., songs) related to venue 106, as will be discussed below.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, venue 106 may be a geographic location
and/or a position (or, a point) in physical space on the surface of the
Earth. In the illustrative example of FIG. 1A, venue 106 is a high
school. Geo-fence 104 may be a virtual perimeter of venue 106 (e.g., high
school). In one or more embodiments, geo-fence 104 may be dynamically
generated as a radius around venue 106 through an appropriate capability
of music device 102 and/or music server 110. In the high school example
of venue 106, geo-fence 104 may be a predefined set of boundaries such as
school attendance zones and/or or neighborhood boundaries. In one example
embodiment, music device 102 may be a location-aware device such that
when music device 102 enters geo-fence 104, certain capabilities thereof
are activated. For example, when music device 102 enters geo-fence 104
associated with venue 106, user 150 of music device 102 may be provided a
capability to tag and/or access playlists or music associated with venue
106. When user 150 exits geo-fence 104, the aforementioned capability may
be disabled.

[0020] In the illustrative example of FIG. 1A, computer network 142 may
include a tower 116 configured to relay signals between music device 102
and music server 110. Cloud environment 112 may provide software, data
access and/or storage services to music device 102 such that user 150 is
unaware of the physical location and/or configuration of the system
delivering said services. In one or more embodiments, music server 110
may execute a tagging module 108 (e.g., on a processor 132
communicatively coupled to a memory 134; tagging module 108 (a set of
instructions) is shown as being stored in memory 134) configured to
permit user 150 to create a playlist 120 of music (e.g., songs)
associated with venue 106 such that playlist 120 is accessible when music
device 102 is within geo-fence 104.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, tagging module 108 may also permit user
150 to share the tagged music with another user (e.g., user 152 of FIG.
1B associated with another music device 162) within the geo-fence 104. In
one or more embodiments, tagging module 108 may determine a location of
music device 102 (and/or another music device 162) based on a global
positioning system (GPS)-capability (geospatial locational capability in
general) thereof. In another example, the location of music device 102
(and/or another music device 162) may be determined based on a
triangulation calculation utilizing at least three towers (e.g.,
including tower 116).

[0022] In one or more embodiments, user 150 of music device 102 may create
playlist 120 through a user interface 176 therefor on music device 102;
music device 102 may execute an appropriate module to enable creation of
playlist 120. In one or more embodiments, during the creation of playlist
120, a database 122 including a repository of music (e.g., songs and
metadata associated therewith) may be accessed through music device 102.
In one or more embodiments, database 122 may be associated with music
server 110; in one example embodiment, database 122 may reside on a
separate server (e.g., server 196) communicatively coupled to music
server 110 through computer network 142. In one or more embodiments, user
150 may select and/or aggregate one or more songs to create playlist 120.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, during tagging of playlist 120 through
music device 102, an association between venue 106 and playlist 120 (or,
one or more songs thereof) may be created. In one or more embodiments, as
discussed above, user 150 may share the music tagged with another user
152 through setting a preference and/or a privacy control in music device
102; another user 152 may obtain access thereto when music device 162 is
within geo-fence 104.

[0024] It is to be noted that the location-based tagged music may be
accessed at a time later than that of the tagging. For example, user 150
may access playlist 120 (music, or, songs) associated with venue 106 when
user 150 returns thereto at a later time. User 150 may have tagged music
with reference to a high school thereof (e.g., music that user 150
listened to during a time of enrolment thereof). At a later point in
time, user 150 may return to the high school (e.g., for a reunion) and
access the tagged music. Thus, exemplary embodiments provide for a
nostalgic experience to user 150. In another example, user 150 may share
the tagged music with his/her children. When children of user 150 attend
the same high school or visit the aforementioned high school, the tagged
music may be heard (e.g., when within geo-fence 104).

[0025]FIG. 2 shows tagging module 108 of music server 110, according to
one embodiment. In one or more embodiments, tagging module 108 may
include a location module 202, an authorization module 204, a playlist
module 206 and an association module 208. In one or more embodiments,
tagging module 108 may be configured to communicate with database 222
(e.g., a local database) having stored playlists therein. Location module
202 may determine the present location of music device 102 (e.g., based
on a GPS capability of music server 110 and/or music device 102).
Authorization module 204 may permit another user 152 access playlist 120
when within geo-fence 104 based on verification of identity thereof. As
discussed above, user 150 may grant a privilege and/or adjust a privacy
setting such that another user 152 may access playlist 120 when within
geo-fence 104. Also, authorization module 204 may restrict access to
playlist 120 when music device 102 is outside geo-fence 104.

[0026] Playlist module 206 may generate playlist 120 based on a request
generated by user 150 through music device 102. Playlist module 206 may
retrieve playlist 120 from database 222 such that playlist 120 is
available to music device 102 when music device 102 is within geo-fence
104. Association module 208 may create an association between playlist
120 and a location such that playlist 120 is tagged to the location and
playlist 120 is accessible when music device 102 is within geo-fence 104.
For example, association module 208 may create a timestamp denoting the
aforementioned association and tagging. In one or more embodiments, based
on playlist pointers 2201-N (e.g., stored in memory 134, along with
all other modules), the appropriate playlist 120 may be matched in
database 222 and retrieved as and when required.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a user interface 176 of music device 102, according to
one embodiment. In one or more embodiments, user interface 176 may be
used to select and play the songs based on a selection criterion. The
songs may be selected based on a seed data provided to user 150, the seed
data being driver of creation of playlist 120. The seed data may include
a seed artist, a seed album, seed song, etc. The input seed data may be
displayed on a seed data display 304. User interface 176 may permit user
150 to create playlist 320 (e.g., analogous to playlist 120). User
interface 176 may include a location display 352 to display a present
location of music device 102 based on the tagging. For example, when
music device 102 is within geo-fence 104 of the high school discussed
above, the name of venue 106 may appear in the location display 352
(e.g., shown as "High School" in FIG. 3).

[0028] It is to be noted that music interface 176 may provide access to
playlists associated with other users (e.g., user 152); similarly, a
music interface on music device 162 may provide access to playlists
tagged by other users.

[0029]FIG. 4 shows a process flow diagram detailing the operations
involved in location-based music tagging and sharing through a music
service, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more
embodiments, operation 402 may involve providing, through music server
110 communicatively coupled to music device 102, a capability to user 150
to tag a song. In one or more embodiments, operation 404 may involve
associating, through music server 110, a location of music device 102
with the song based on the tagging. In one or more embodiments, operation
406 may then involve solely providing, through music server 110, access
to the tagged song to user 150 and/or another user 152 when the
corresponding music device 102 of user 150 and/or another music device
162 associated with another user 152 is within the location.

[0030] An example scenario will now be described to which concepts
associated with the exemplary embodiments may be applicable. A music
service provider (e.g., "XYZ Music Service") may be subscribed to by user
150 that enjoys streaming music through music device 102. User 150 may
have strong emotional connections to a locational context in which music
may be experienced (e.g., a beach, a university, a concert hall, a
long-distance drive, a first date). User 150 may choose to generate one
or more playlists (e.g., playlist 120) of one or more songs to be
listened to in the locational context, and tag the aforementioned one or
more playlists. The tagging may enable user 150 to listen to playlist 120
at a later date at a same location of tagging (e.g., "High School"
discussed above). The tag may be a username, a playlist name, and/or a
timestamp that a database of XYZ Music Service uses to associate playlist
120 with the appropriate location. XYZ Music Service may also enable
making playlist 120 available to other subscribed users by recognizing
the location of said other subscribed users through music devices thereof
and allowing access to a stream of playlist 120.

[0031] Another example of XYZ Music Service may involve interaction of
famous persons that may be subscribers with regular users through
playlist sharing. For example, a famous person may create a playlist
(e.g., playlist 120) and choose to share the playlist with fans thereof.
In another example, a famous musician may create a playlist of favorite
music before a performance at a concert hall. Audience members of the
performance may be allowed access to the playlist upon entering a
geo-fence surrounding the concert hall at a time before or after the
performance.

[0032] Although the present embodiments have been described with reference
to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various
modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments.
For example, the various devices, modules, analyzers, generators, etc.
described herein may be enabled and operated using hardware circuitry
(e.g., CMOS based logic circuitry), firmware, software or any combination
of hardware, firmware, or software (e.g., embodied in a non-transitory
machine-readable medium). For example, the various electrical structure
and methods may be embodied using transistors, logic gates, and
electrical circuits (e.g., application specific integrated (ASIC)
circuitry or in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) circuitry).

[0033] In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations,
processes, and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in a
machine-readable medium or a machine accessible medium compatible with a
data processing system (e.g., a computer system), and may be performed in
any order (e.g., including using means for achieving the various
operations). Accordingly, the specification and the drawings are to be
regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Patent applications by David Hyman, Kensington, CA US

Patent applications in class On screen video or audio system interface

Patent applications in all subclasses On screen video or audio system interface